Unconditional On Hiatus
by EmberlynEalise
Summary: Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy meets girl's boyfriend. Could love really be so cruel? - A tale of an unconditional kind of love overcoming obstacles everyday. AH, OOC, MA for intense sexual nature, written in Edward's POV. E/B/Em.
1. In Lieu of Sunshine

Disclaimer: While many wish they were and few claim to be, I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight Saga or anything associating with such including but not limited to Plots, themes, characters, symbolism, quotes, etcerta... Any resemblances are out of respect for the original author in a compliment to their work and they will not carry over into the rewritten versions staring all my own characters.

**Unconditional**  
**Emberlyn Ealise**

**In Lieu of Sunshine**

Like famine in the Middle East, rain in Seattle was unavoidable. I watched as it pounded heavily against the thick glass of the window, each drop that sought admittance was rudely denied. They hit the glass with soft thuds before trailing downward in defeat. Some merged with other trails and some went at it alone, eventually disappearing insignificantly. Though they all fell from the same sky and from the same clouds, every drop had its own destination and path to find. If only the human race could be so intelligent.

I imagined that there were certain similarities. Like rain drops, we often crashed against glass surfaces, not seeing the barrier for what it was. We then followed our paths with or without others to join us. Our roads could be short or long but in the same way, they eventually ended. What rain drops held that humans lacked is the finesse in which they disappear into their own obscurity.

If anyone had asked me in that moment for my thoughts on life and love, they would have heard the text book definitions; life being the human condition between birth and death that separates us from inanimate objects and love being a combination of sexual attraction, attachment, and certain chemicals in the brain reacting based on time and circumstance. Cynical, yes, but I was a 24 year old medical student living with parents who hadn't touched one another in ages. The worst part about them was that I was the only one who had noticed.

I sighed and watched the thick glass before me cloud over and inhibit my view. Armed with not but the sleeve of my lab coat, I made haste to clear the haze and returned to the intense metaphoric vision of the life of rain drops. It may have sounded silly to an outsider but it was much more entertaining than the re-telling of the clinical dissection of the 20 year old female my father had on his table only hours earlier. The sight of her had made me ill and I had been on the ninth floor staring out the window ever since.

And then another possible 20 year old caught my sight. Though she was 9 floors down and across the street, I could still tell that she was a stunning beauty; at least I thought I could tell. Her back was facing me as she sat on the curb facing the main road that ran perpendicular to the one that divided us but I could make out the waves of her soaked hair and pale color of her face. She wore no jacket, held no umbrella, and her legs were buried at least mid-calf in the excess water that flowed toward the drain some three feet to her left.

The doctor in me feared for her health and safety. Being exposed to the elements in such a way might weaken her immune system, making her that much more susceptible to disease and illness. Then there was her mental state to consider. How stable could she possibly be to willingly subject her body to cold and rain without even the most modest bit of protection? Either diagnosis required the same action be taken: Have her admitted immediately.

There was another part of me though, a part I chose not to entertain often but preferred to any of my other vices. It was my inner detective, and while the doctor in me was diagnosing, it went through the mental calculations of possible reasons she was there. Judging by her apparent age and the hospital's proximity to the college, there was a good chance that she was a student, most likely a second year student since that's usually when the meager college funds ran out and it became time to figure our how to juggle a full class schedule and a full-time job. Throw in a limited social life and a hectic study schedule and it's a recipe for suicide. I'd never experienced it myself as I lived at home with wealthy parents and acquired numerous scholarships but I was witness to many nervous breakdowns amongst peers. At such a fragile age higher learning can take its toll.

The dark haired girl fit the college theory well with her untidy hair and too thin physique but as any good detective knows the first guess is usually wrong, too tainted by the first impression where every human being compares looks and personality to get a feel for whether another person is good or bad. It's a subconscious action but can be proven by the fact that before I thought_ she looks stressed _I thought_ she's beautiful _and admired her feminine features from afar. Now, it came time for a new theory but I couldn't think of a single thing that would depress a 20 year old girl. She had a lifetime ahead of her to be sad. These were the years to be happy. I had resolved to tell her so before a voice behind me startled my still form.

"We're just finishing up here if you want to get a head start. I'll be going home in a half hour or so" My father informed me, sounding annoyed that I haven't listened to a second of his reenactment of the earlier autopsy. I'm more interested in the status of the investigation than in the condition of victim number three's organs. "Your mother complains that she never sees you as it is. I'd rather not hear the nonsense that will go along with you staying late. I try to tell her that you're a grown-"

"It's fine," I cut him off before he started reminding me of how he felt about my living at home. If I could have put to rest the image of my mother being left alone surrounded by cats 365 days a year then I would have found an apartment long ago. I didn't know what I'd do when I found a girl worthy of settling down. "I have no problem cutting my hours a little short so that I can see mom once in a while. But you know she complains you're never home either."

"I'm not a child, Edward. I'm an adult with a career and a family for whom I provide. Your mother understands and one day you will as well." I wouldn't. I knew that I would never understand his blatant neglect but wisely I chose to not respond. It was better to let him believe he had won than to tell him what his family really thought of his choices.

When the legs of a chair behind me drug roughly across the tile floor I knew it wasn't my father who would be joining me. Officer Clearwater, Harry, took his time walking across the room to my side. He wasn't much older than my father, maybe in his mid 50's, but he was a heavy set fellow and carried it rather inelegantly. With his hand on my shoulder he made his presence known.

"It's not you, Eddie. This case is taking it out of the both of us." He sighed. "We've seen too much." I nodded so that he would think I understood but I didn't need an excuse for my father's behavior. I needed my dad.

"I take it she was another mannequin?" I switched to the subject of the case at hand.

"The third." He confirmed with a grim expression that reflected in the window.

"Another prostitute?" He shrugged.

"Not exactly, it looks like his latest victim worked at a strip joint downtown. I've got the boys at the station checking into the other girls, to see if they worked there or some club in the area. It'll narrow down the suspects if he strikes close to home."

"Do you guys have any new leads?"

"Na, the girls are all wiped clean. We think he washes them before he cuts and dresses the bodies. The soap is too common and the steel he uses to put them back together is local stuff. He's definitely from around here." Harry shook his head as if he thought it would get rid of the images. I already knew there was at least 25 years worth of images he'd do anything to have gone. It didn't keep him from kissing his wife when he got home every night and from taking time off work every time his daughter, Leah, came for a visit. I wondered if he thought of her when he saw the others. She was the right age and the right build, but she was far too intelligent for the club scene.

"You guys will get him," I offered. It was as hollow a statement to a cop as telling a homeless man about the increases in the stock market. He patted the shoulder he'd been holding.

"Don't be so hard on your dad. Carlisle isn't as seasoned as I am. He takes it harder when he realizes he can't save them all." He was my dad; He was supposed to be Superman. With that he turned back to my father content to have left me with what he thought was profound advice.

"Oh, and don't forget to grab an umbrella on the way out." He said with an obvious smile in his voice. I needed no further instruction as I took one last look at her before turning on my heel and heading for the door, slipping through it just in time to hear my father saying:

"Umbrella? He's parked in the carport."

I followed the hall way to where it opened into a lobby area equipped with three elevators all running slower than molasses as I hammered on the down arrow, anxious to play the role of Knight in Shining Armor. With my luck, she'd be gone by the time I got there making the rush completely unnecessary. The doors to my right dinged open allowing me to jump inside like the eager child I was reducing myself to.

In and out I breathed slowly the whole ride to the bottom to ensure I would be calmed by the time I arrived at the lobby. It was after ten and I knew I'd look like a heavily drugged patient if I appeared too eager on my way out. The hospital personnel knew me to be as somber as my father and I truly didn't feel like subjecting myself to questioning.

The doors dinged again and opened to the bottom floor parking structure. I muttered curses under my breath and pushed the lobby button. Out of habit I'd gone to my car which would not have been an issue had the aforementioned umbrella not been at the front desk with Jane, along with my coat. Up I went, three floors, until the doors at last opened to the smiling face of the newest intern, a 19 year old blond with the body of a 12 year old.

She was attractive as far as blonds go but she lacked maturity and curves as well as height. At 4' 7" she was legally a dwarf and though state law mandated she must drive with a booster seat she didn't mind because she also received a handicapped parking sticker. I never understood how just being smaller than average could be considered a handicap.

"Good evening, Jane," I greeted her, unable to wipe the silly grin off of my face. She blushed and giggled making her seem younger still. "I'll need my coat and one of those spare umbrellas you keep back there."

"An umbrella?" She questioned in her high pitched teenage voice.

"Yes, I was thinking taking a walk in this beautiful weather we're having," I joke earning another giggle as she scurried to the over sized closet behind her. She returned with just my coat and I eyed her expectantly.

"Oh!" She said startled, "I thought you were joking. Umm...they've actually all been taken, Edward...Sir..." Wonderful, I scared her. "But there's a little shop right outside where you could grab one. You'd only get wet for a few seconds." She amended.

It was the perfect idea. I'd have a purchased umbrella to leave with the girl if need be. I thanked Jane as I handed over the lab coat and wrapped my own coat around me before making my way to the exit. The shop she was referring to was in the opposite direction of the girl but it did remind me that there was another directly behind her. As hard as it was raining I knew I'd be soaked but I was in a hurry. From the doorway I could see her still sitting there and I didn't want to take a chance that she wouldn't be there when I returned.

Traffic wasn't as heavy as I would have expected for a Friday afternoon allowing me a small sense of comfort as I made my way across four lanes. Most of the drivers were accommodating since they were already going slower than usual but I did have one who jerked forward in a scare tactic. It was an action that earned him a not so friendly finger and a few choice words I preferred not to say in front of a lady, words I would have kept to myself knowing she was in earshot but thankfully too distracted to pay much attention to me.

The ache to be near her became more demanding once I survived my daring swim across the street and came to stand behind the lovely young lady. She seemed to notice nothing and no one despite how close I came to reaching my hand out and running my fingers through her undoubtedly knotted hair just to feel some piece of her. The thought made me feel somewhat like a stalker so I resolved to calm my over eager self inside the quaint shop where I hoped to find a usable umbrella.

The moment I was through the door the warmth inside began to wash over me. I hadn't even noticed how cold I was until I recognized the difference. It smelled of warm honey. Not the same scent as would have been present had the owner actually been heating the honey but more of the clean scent associated with a candle or an air freshener. Either way it smelled delicious and gave me a sweet tooth. Of all the subtle ways of marketing, sense association was my favorite.

Still, time was of the essence as I made my way to the counter where the clerk sat on a stool reading what looked like a magazine but upon closet inspection turned out to be a comic book. Catching my approach the clerk closed the book and laid it on the counter giving me her undivided attention with a pleasant smile. This was obviously a job she enjoyed.

"How are you doing today, Sir?" She asked. I favored conversational greetings to those in which a person was only interested in assisting you long enough for you to buy something and her soft voice made it that much more pleasant. I returned her smile with a friendly grin of my own.

"I'd be a little better if I wasn't being pelted by this downpour," I commented, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to get the water out. "I was finally having a good hair day too."

She laughed at my lame joke and began to look behind her for something.

"As far as your hair goes, I'm not going to be much help." She gestured to the mass of untidy red frizz surrounding her face as she moved toward the end of the counter. "But I can keep you from looking like a soaked cat tomorrow." She teased, handing me the dark green umbrella she found.

"Well, aren't you a little saint, Miss..."

"Victoria...Tory...Winters. Um… it's Victoria Winters but I go by Tory and sometimes V." She stuttered as though no one had bothered to ask her name before they walked through the door. "Sorry, I have this brain thing that makes me a little quirky. My mind moves faster than my speech so I sometimes stutter or answer questions that you didn't even ask because while we are at point A my brain is down the road at point F." She took a quick breath. "It has the added effect of making me talk too much as well. I should probably stop now. I'm sure you couldn't care less about the 'Honey-Pot' cashier and her dysfunctional brain to mouth connection..." She trailed of as her face began to blend with her hair. It was probably the exact response she feared but I couldn't help laughing. Girls were absolutely adorable with all the silly little things that would get to them.

"I actually find it interesting. Last semester, I studied surgical neurology and while we never got into anything like this, I can definitely see how it's possible," I assured her, "Has anyone ever prescribed you Ritalin? It's speed for the general population but a method of slowing down for those with over active minds." It was nice to see her relax after that.

"Oh, you're a med student?" I nodded. "They prescribed Adderall before but the headaches were unmanageable and I stopped taking it. I'd rather look like a fool in front of strangers than be in pain all the time just to save face."

I placed the umbrella next to the register for her to go ahead and ring up. On a normal day I would have stood there discussing treatment and options for hours but on a normal day I would not have even been there. I needed to get to the girl on the curb before she was gone for good. "Ah, I see. Ritalin usually has more intense side effects so you probably made the right choice." She nodded with a smile and rang up the umbrella.

"That'll be $15.98," she said and I handed her my card. One quick swipe later she was telling me to have a nice day while I was on my way out the door. As luck would have it the object of my every thought since I left the office still occupied her seat on the curb.

The cold must have finally settled in because she was more closed in on herself than earlier. Still, she didn't shiver once. Her hair blew lightly to the side in the direction the wind flowed. One stand tangled around the other and then more twirled in a spiral form calling to me, begging me to run my fingers through them to tame their wild ways. They bothered her not. They were merely stray stands she couldn't even bother to restrain in her hair tie.

Standing under the awning of the shop I shrugged out of my coat before even bothering with the umbrella. Though I was wasting a tremendous amount of time, I wanted to ensure she had them both. Her health was more important than mine and so without even asking I draped my designer jacket over her shoulders taking the seat next to her as I popped the umbrella open over our heads.

A sigh slipped from her lips giving me reason to take a look at her face at last. She wasn't looking at me still but I could see in her expression that she was acknowledging my presence. As unusual as it may have been, she was the odd one out it the rain leaving her little room to judge me.

Her features were soft and subtle, eyes and nose proportions were near exact while her mouth was a little out of the ordinary. The bottom lip was quite large compared to the top but as I watch her pull it into her mouth biting it timidly I could see that this was why. A woman her age had so many reasons to be nervous that it was no surprise that she had picked up a simple tick, but it still made me wish I knew her well enough to make her see that whatever she was so intimidated by at this time wouldn't matter in a year. Soon she would move on from the curb next to me and set out to conquer her own destiny without another thought about the night she was reduced to wallowing in the rain.

Unfortunately, I didn't know her that well and if I had said those things she would have most likely told me off for meddling in things which I had no business commenting. Even with her wet kitten look I could tell she was ferocious. To be honest, she intimidated me. I desperately wanted to speak to her, to say anything at all as my mouth went dry and my stomach turned flips. She obviously had no qualms about me or she would have left already. That still didn't mean I was man enough to for a coherent thought and push it out of my mouth.

_You're so beautiful. You look so sad. May I sit with your for a while? Hold you in my arms and pretend that I am yours and that you are mine and that whatever is bothering you I can fix? Can I sing you a lullaby that only you will hear and know? One that speaks from the heart to yours of things I've never thought before...things I never imagined feeling? Can I kiss your cold lips to warm them with my own, tasting your breath as neither of us can be bothered to pull away for air? Will you let me touch your skin just once? Feel it weaken beneath my finger tips, giving way to my will the way I want you to give way to me? I need this now more than you'll ever know and I'll leave you be when it's done but for now, stranger to stranger, can you just be with me?_

My jumbled thoughts were ridiculous as well as unnecessary. Just as I had taken liberties with her needs, she took them with mine leaning into me and putting her head on my chest. It was no longer just an acknowledgment of my kindness but a gesture of appreciation, one which I willingly took advantage. My free arm slipped over her shoulder and pulled our bodies closer together with her enjoying the warmth as much as I.

From an outsider stand point we probably looked very much like a young couple though still odd as we were allowing ourselves to become soaked. We weren't like the rest and we didn't want to be. We were in the moment, part of the life, and sadly disturbed. Her body shook against mine and while I had no way of knowing if this was her laughing or crying or cold I decided it was time to move. I unwrapped my arm from her shoulder and offered her my hand, looking into her eyes with a silent plea that she allow me to save her. She smirked in a saddened way but placed her hand in mine, willing me to lift her at last and lead her to a better place, the cafe two doors down.

It was much warmer once we got inside and I opted for a table in the back so that we wouldn't freeze every time the door opened. She didn't object once, just followed me quietly, never removing her hand from mine until we were both seated. The chair was uncomfortable but I'm sure it had something to do with my being soaked so I chose to concentrate on the beauty across from me whose face looked flushed and unhealthily sunken. She needed something to drink to warm her as well as something to eat to sustain her before she fainted. I wouldn't have minded having to administer breathing exercises to help her regain consciousness but I wouldn't intentionally allow her to need such measures. We sat there, staring at one another until the server stopped by the table reluctant to interrupt.

"Hi guys, I'm Carmen and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you out with something to help you warm up? You look like you've been out in that a little too long." She teased. I was happy to hear her joking and it earned a small chuckle from my companion as well. Her attention turned from me to Carmen.

"I'll have a peppermint hot chocolate with extra marshmallows." She ordered, not even bothering to check if it was something they served. I'd never had something so...sweet so it surprised me to see the waitress agree like it was ordered all the time. Perhaps it was me. I'd always had a bitter pallet. Carmen turned her blue eyes on me, waiting for my order.

"I'll have your clover brewed coffee, please. No cream." I instructed.

"Sure thing." She said, jotting down the request. "Can I get you anything to eat?"

I looked toward my rain coated friend allowing her to choose first. "I'm not hungry," she whispered, seeming afraid that I would object. Of course, I did.

"We'll share a soup and sandwich combo, the Tuscan Chicken Panini and Broccoli and Cheese Soup will be fine." Carmen nodded with a smile.

"I'll be right back with your drinks. Just let me know if you need anything else." With that she bounced off into the kitchen, allowing me and my friend to return to our staring contest. She didn't seem at all surprised that I would force food on her, more content I would say. It seemed she was not opposed to someone caring about her well being. Mustering what little courage I had left, I finally spoke to her.

"I'm Edward."

"Bella." She complied. I felt the need to speak, to fill the silence.

"I work at the Virginia Masen Hospital over on the corner. Well, I'm an intern there. I don't actually get paid for it yet but in another year or so I'll finish my degree and start working full time in the cardiac ward." I rambled. "Most likely, there's always the chance that I'll change my mind and do something in Neurology or even Pediatrics. I love children." She smiled sweetly giving me a moment to think of what I'd just said. "I don't have any, of course. I enjoy children and caring for them but I don't have any of my own. Not that there would be anything wrong with that. Plenty of 24 year old men have children..."

I feared I was jumping into a hole here and burying myself alive. It wasn't uncommon for a woman in her early 20's to have a child and while I had no intention of trying to start a relationship with a young mother, I was not about to make her feel wrong about it. Just because I wasn't ready for a child and a family didn't mean that she wasn't. Though, it did seem likely that she wasn't as I had just escorted her off the roadside in the rain to ensure she didn't catch pneumonia.

With impeccable timing Carmen handed us our drinks and checked again to ensure we needed nothing else before leaving me with my foot in my mouth waiting on Bella's reply. She was definitely amused.

"I don't have any children either. Maybe I'll have one someday but I'm in no position in my life to be responsible for another person." I didn't miss that she omitted telling me what position she was in her life.

"That's smart. What do you do then?" She sipped slowly on the hot chocolate closing her eyes as I watched it warm her face. Bella could be very lovely when she thought only of herself. Her eyes opened again to meet mine.

"I'm a student as well, a second year Sports Medicine Major."

"What got you into that?" I chanced, wanting her to say more. The cup of hot chocolate knocked lightly against the table as she thought about the question.

"My dad's a football coach down south and my mom is a vet, was a vet." She corrected hastily. "I guess that I just grew up taking care of the players like I saw my mom do with her pets and it seemed the logical route when I thought about what I would do with my life." I nodded.

"That's a lot like how I got into my field. My dad's a Coroner, who used to be a surgeon, and my mom...well I guess she really didn't have much to do with the decision. She's just a housewife."

"_Just _a housewife?" She quirked an eyebrow. I laughed.

"Okay, so maybe not _just_ a housewife but she never really had a career. She and my dad met when she was real young and they grew up together knowing that they'd get married and he'd support her and she'd have dozens of his children."

"Dozens? Talk about commitment. How many siblings do you have?" She asked with a little enthusiasm. This was turning out to be much easier than I'd expected.

"I'm actually an only child. Mom and dad had big dreams when they were younger. They even bought this huge rundown house when he graduated college so that they could fix it up and fill its many rooms with all the babies they could manage. But things didn't really work out that way. Mom had trouble carrying to full term and after me being four months premature they decided it wasn't worth the risk to her or their future children," I explained. No one had ever really asked about that. My parents life before was something I was made aware of somewhere in my adolescent years but I hadn't given it much thought. Bella, however, looked saddened.

"That must have been so tough for them." She commented, reaching her hand across the table to mine and resting it there. I didn't need the comfort but I wasn't about to tell her that.

"Yeah, they poured all their love and attention into me after that." I shrugged. I wasn't sure what else to say on the subject and her sympathy was unnerving so we just sat in silence again for a few minutes with Bella thinking she was connecting with me and me wishing there was more to connect. "You said your parents were down south, how far south, exactly?"

"Oh, I'm from Phoenix." She stated, seeing what I was getting at. "I applied for the University there but didn't get in for some reason. It was a good thing dad and I had scouted out a few other schools since I managed to get into TU, FSU, and Washington. Dad thought it was a given that I'd pick TU but...here we are." She offered with small grin. My heart jumped thinking she was smiling about being here with me.

Things suddenly felt very Junior High. Was I supposed to ask her to go steady? Did couples even do that anymore? I felt far out of my element despite having gone on several dates recently. Dates had never been hard for me to find. It was girlfriends I had trouble keeping. Apparently females my age had no problem going home with a guy on the first date, they just had an issue when home was where his parents lived too. Amidst my dilemma Carmen came around with our food and a sweet smile.

"Here you are." She said, sitting the Panini in front of Bella and the soup in front of me, "Anything else I can get you?"

Genuine courtesy is always so comforting to me and it was something Carmen possessed a plethora of. She was always smiling that friendly smile while making conversation with multiple patrons yet she instinctively knew that Bella and I required no such attention. We knew little enough about each other to sustain conversation for hours, if only we could get things started.

"Bella?" I offered to see if there was something she had thought of while waiting but she shook her head, "Then we're good. Thank you so much, Carmen." Carmen nodded and went about her rounds again leaving Bella and I to make small talk between bites.

To my surprise when I turned my attention back to Bella she was diligently working on sawing the Panini in half to place part of it on a spare plate for me before taking the soup and putting it between us. She then gave me my half and dunked hers into the soup as though that was all it was for. When I didn't immediately dunk, she cocked an eyebrow with a questioning look, probably thinking she did something wrong. I just smiled and enjoyed my sandwich the same way talking sports and schooling while we ate. We were laughing and joking by the time we finished and I was slowly beginning to realize that I loved the way she laughed.

"If it were possible to die laughing I would have. Jake just stood there all rosy cheeked with his hair in braids and no clue why everyone was snickering." She could hardly even tell the story she was laughing so hard at the memory of the prank she and her Brownie Scout friends pulled on her older brother. I laughed along with her.

"Did he ever forgive you guys?" I asked.

"He kind of had too since I'm his sister and my best friend Nessie is now his wife." My eyes bugged out a little since she had described Nessie as the ring leader in most of the pranks against Jake. "Yeah, I know. It caught Jake off guard too but I could see it coming a mile away. Of all things said about love I count only count two that are without a doubt true. One, the surest sign of a man in love is shyness. Two, the surest sign for a woman is boldness."

"So, how did Jake figure it out?" I wondered, having never experienced love myself. She shook her head.

"He didn't." She stated, rolling her eyes at the thought, "Jake always has been a narrow minded hot-head when it came to my dating so I never bothered. It wasn't a big deal since guys weren't exactly knocking down my door back then but I had a lot of guy friends, even some of Jake's." Whether she believed it or not, I knew guys had to have been falling all over her otherwise Jake wouldn't have needed to be near as protective. It's a guy thing. "When I was 16, one of the joint custody friends was my first kiss. I was curious and he said he'd been sweet on me for a while so I just let it happen. He was an idiot...still is." She laughed again, "and told some of his buddies about it which inevitably got back to Jake and turned into a shoving match on the practice field after school. Nessie and I just happened to be there when Jake went off about how I was too young and it was just sick for Emmett to even look at me like that."

I cringed at the thought of the ramifications of hearing something like that. At 16 females could be so vulnerable and knowing that her brother thought her being kissed was sick could easily have inflicted damage to her confidence. She didn't seem too bothered though.

"I knew Jacob was just mad because I was his _little_ sister and was supposed to stay that way but Nessie had had enough. I still remember the sound of her book bag hitting the track that surrounded the field and the feel of my face registering shock as she jumped between these two meat heads. Jake and Em would both tell you different but the giant bruise on the side of his face came from Nessie's fist and not Em's. She decked him so hard he stumbled three feet back and she called him a pea brained jock or something like that but then kissed him right on the mouth." I could see it in my head as if I'd been there. Bella's brother's stunned expression, the young French best friend grabbing her backpack off the track and walking away, Bella and Em trading knowing looks. It didn't escape my notice that anyone important in Bella's life earned a nickname and the boy who had given her her first kiss had been dubbed 'Em'. I wondered if she regretted leaving him behind in Phoenix but then reminded myself that with him being older he probably left her first. As I contemplated all of this Bella noticed that it was no longer raining and reminded me of the fact that I was supposed to be home long ago.

"Would you like me to take you home?" I offered praying she would say yes and I'd have an address to send flowers to for the next month but she declined, handing me my coat and walking toward the exit with me close behind. We'd sat at the table for good half hour after I paid but we couldn't get enough of each other. At least, I'd thought that was why until she was in such a hurry to be free of me.

"I don't live far from here and my roommate has this problem with strangers knowing where we live." She explained. I could understand that. Two young women alone in Seattle would need to be cautious about the men they meet but that didn't mean I couldn't see her again.

"Oh, well maybe I can get your number so that we can do this again sometime?" I tried, hoping not to be denied again. She let out an agitated breath as we stepped out of the cafe and onto the still soaked sidewalk.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said.

I thought everything was going great. I thought at the least I'd made a new friend but now I wasn't so sure. She bit her lip looking at me deciding whether or not to say more but I took the option from her by grabbing one of my father's business cards from my coat pocket along with a hospital pen to jot down my cell phone number on the back.

"Let's do this. I'll give you my phone number and if you change your mind you can call me anytime, day or night, and we'll do something," I offered. She reluctantly took the card and I knew I'd never see her again. She'd turn around and walk toward wherever 'home' was and forget my name, my phone number, everything. And I couldn't let her. My eyes darted to her mouth in a dead giveaway for what I was about to do. Her breath caught and I watched her every feature freeze but took it as a good sign because she didn't try to move away. With the only sense I had left, I took her chin in my hand and tilted her head back stepping closer to her as her lips parted and her eyes closed. Bella needed this every bit as much as I did, offering me no option to retreat.

I kissed her.


	2. In Lieu of Morse Code

Disclaimer: While many wish they were and few claim to be, I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight Saga or anything associating with such including but not limited to Plots, themes, characters, symbolism, quotes, etcerta... Any resemblances are out of respect for the original author in a compliment to their work and they will not carry over into the rewritten versions staring all my own characters.

**Unconditional**  
**Emberlyn Ealise**

**In Lieu of Morse Code**

It was a week later when I finally received a call from the girl I had all but forgotten, possibly a day or so less. I was sitting at the kitchen table in my parents' overlarge home, fooling my mind into believing that I was accomplishing something while instead thinking of idle nonsense. Why my parents never downsized was a wonder to me as we didn't use a third of the rooms anyway and there were no signs of future children from them or me. The least they could do was rent out the extra rooms but that would allow strangers into our home. Strangers were dangerous on all counts.

For the first time in months my mother and father were spending time together outside of the house. It was the hospital's annual Murder Mystery party that they never missed but I still counted it as a date, and it still got me the house to myself.

Rather than throwing a party or running around naked as any other college student would do, I chose to lay all my current homework assignments on one end of our dining room table and all of my current case work on the other end with the intention of switching from one side to the other every time I got stuck. Instead it all just sat there while I paced on the tiled floors, wondering why I couldn't concentrate. A conundrum that might never be solved.

My phone rang from the countertop in the next room pulling me away from my riveting game of 'Don't Step on a Crack' and dragging me into the kitchen instead. I was sure that I'd put it on silent to get my much needed studying out of the way but obviously not.

I was in the habit of checking the number before I answer but after dashing for the useless piece of technology, knocking it off the other side of the counter, and fishing it out from between the refrigerator and a cabinet; I barely had time to answer at all.

"Who's there?" I answered, apparently so caught up in my five year old games that I felt the need to treat this like a 'Knock, Knock' joke. Still sitting on the kitchen floor, I smacked myself in the forehead for sounding like an idiot. With my luck, it was likely a professor for whom I'd just demonstrated my genius. An unfamiliar voice on the line answered back.

An unfamiliar voice on the line answers back. "Umm, Bella?" It was worse than any professor would have been. She phrased her response like a question, no doubt caught off guard by my ridiculousness.

"Bella?" I asked in my giddy schoolboy way. That particular instance made me feel even more like a space case. It wouldn't have surprised me at all if she just hung up the phone. There was hesitation on the line and I pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure it didn't read 'call ended' already.

"Yeah, from the café over by St Virginia Mason's," she explained as I put it back against my ear. She thought I'd forgotten her.

"Yes, right. I remember you, the sweet little college girl from Phoenix who loves her brother more than anything in the world. How are you? How's Jake?" I was eager to show her that I'd been listening, that I wanted to get to know her. She was quiet still.

"Jake's good. Nessie's been threatening me with a niece or nephew so I'm kind of expecting that news any day now." She laughed awkwardly. I wasn't sure if a niece or nephew was good news or bad but I figured she'd explain, eventually. "And Jacob just got promoted to General Manager or something like that. He's now the man in charge when it comes to the shop near his house in Mesa and both shops in Phoenix."

To be honest I was willing to discuss anything just to keep her talking but it didn't escape my notice that she avoided answering my question about how she was doing. Treading lightly was my best bet for finding out what she was after. With the way she sounded, this was more than a social call.

"That's great. Is there any sign of his boss venturing to open a place out here? I'm sure you'd love to have him and Nessie a little closer."

"We tell him all the time to at least pitch the idea but I think Jake's afraid of getting all the way out here just for the place to flop. He's got hypothetical kids to think about, you know…" It was her way of saying she didn't think she was worth the risk. I nodded, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't see me. "That's tough. I know you miss your family," I offer not knowing what else to say to her. She had to have a reason to call me other than small talk but in her silence, I felt I should have been listening for Morse Code.

"I do, but I'll see them soon enough. Thanksgiving break is only a few months away." She wanted to say more and I was starting to think I just wasn't asking the right questions so I went back to the original one she avoided.

"So, how are you?" I asked softly letting her know that I was here if she needed me. It was something I'd learned in the hospital.

"I'm..." She started but didn't get any further, "Do you want to do something tonight? I know I kind of brushed you off last time but I've been thinking about it a lot and I really could use someone new in my life, a friend."

I'd be lying if I said that didn't feel like a kick in the nuts but I'd only just met the girl. Expecting her to immediately hop in the sack was insulting. Still, I wanted more than the friend-zone had to offer.

"Sure, I actually need to get a shower real quick and then I can pick you up and we can go get a bite to eat. If you want you can just give me your address and I'll MapQuest it," I tried to make it sound as nonchalant as possible but I had every intention of treating it like a date.

She must have caught on because she got quiet. Well, she had been quiet most of the time but this was more of an awkward silence.

"Actually, I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for so why don't I meet you at your place and we can go from there? It'll give you enough time to take care of business in the shower and I'll be there some time after you put your clothes back on." I wanted to see her so I caved a little.

"We can do that. But when you get here we're taking my car." She laughed, lightly this time.

"It's a deal."

Already we were on the grounds of a give and take relationship and I was looking forward to all the places it would lead us. I gave her my address and a few half-assed directions before we got off the phone and I ran to my room to figure out what I would wear. I hadn't wanted to impress a girl since High School making me a little out of practice.

_' Are slacks too business like? Are jeans too casual? Do jeans and a dress shirt count as business casual? What Is she doing calling me up at 10 o' clock at night to 'hang out'?' _

This was definitely going to be a tough evening for me. I decided to go with black slacks and a white dress shirt. She hadn't seemed put off by my attire when we last met, leading me to believe that it was at least a tolerable choice. I might have been wrong but I'd rather be over dressed than under dressed.

I laid the clothes on the bed along with a pair of socks and some boxer briefs. They were baggy like boxers but also didn't make me sweat like briefs. Compromise is good.

Once satisfied there, I moved on to the bathroom. I didn't think to ask how far out she was but if she was at home, which was somewhere around the hospital, then I only had between 20 and 30 minutes to be ready. I'd wasted 15 of those trying to pick out something to wear. The night was off to a great start.

I turned to shower on and positioned the handles as I usually did for my desired water temperature before I began to undress. This way the water had time to warm up and I wasn't shocked when it came in contact with my naked body. One too many times of doing that had caused a nosy house keeper to think I needed to be monitored in the shower. We no longer have need of house keepers.

Stepping off the cold tiles and into the warm fog of the shower, I slid the door closed behind me. The humidity assaulted my senses and I began to relax before the water even touched me. It was a soothing feeling that rendered my muscles tender to the touch. When the water finally washed over them I was too far gone to see the puddle on the floor I was becoming. Showers were a time of peace and tranquility, not to be rushed. Unless, of course, a beautiful young woman had expressed interest in seeing me immediately following my cleansing.

Reluctantly, I forced my eyes open and reached for my shampoo, some medically prescribed dandruff stuff that I don't really need. My father insisted on taking preventative measures. Once the goop was in my hands, I lathered it into my scalp thinking only of Bella and what I would say when she arrived, preferably more than I had on the phone. That was a step up from a disaster.

We had college in common, even medicine in common. Though it was something she was interested in studying while I merely endured. My passion was more geared to solving a murder than saving a life. The Mannequin Man, as Detective Clearwater and I had started calling him, had occupied some part of my mind ever since the first victim had been found in an alley braced against the wall as if she were 'assuming the position'.

It was thought, at first, that the killer was making fun of the police but second victim was posed resting on a fire escape while the third appeared to be washing a car. The locations were entirely random but the girls were all the same, young and beautiful and easily found on the street corner.

That was the least likely thing she wanted to talk about, I was sure.

Once washed and rinsed, I shut the water off and exited the shower in search of a towel. My footsteps were light, trying not the slip around on the wet floor, but it sounded for a moment like there was someone knocking. The faint sounds ceased when I stopped, leading me to assume I was hearing things. After all, we had a doorbell so why would anybody knock?

I retrieved my boxer briefs from the bed before making my way back to the bathroom. A quick towel dry on my hair and a little manipulator had it styled perfectly. Though she seemed very casual about us doing something I decided to err on the side of caution placing a light amount of lotion on my hands and a dab of cologne on my chest. Even casual there was no reason why I shouldn't smell nice and be soft to the touch.

I finished my work in the bathroom before slipping into my slacks and a black belt. They were more snug than I had expected but in my frustrated musings of why Bella hadn't called, I had amped my workout a bit. I didn't worry though; my muscle mass often came and went.

As I grabbed the white dress shirt off the bed I could hear the soft notes of something familiar coming from my grand piano down stairs. My parents weren't to be expected for several more hours but I had a feeling that something had went wrong at the party. Mother always played when she was upset, though I wasn't aware she knew Phantom of the Opera or why she would choose that over her usual blues.

Hesitant, I padded out of my room and down the stairs on my bare feet carrying my shirt with me. The coat rack next to the front door held neither my mother nor my father's attire which surprised me. She would have had to have been in a terrible mood to return alone but to not even remember to take her coat off was unlikely.

The music became louder as I closed in on her, stopping in my tracks as she missed a note and muttered "Fuck!" under her breath. It wasn't the _she_ I thought it to be. I rounded the corner watching her clearly intent on getting the chord progression perfect.

"Bella?" I questioned softly already knowing her hair too well from behind.

The music stopped and she turned to face me. Her mouth opened to respond, possibly to explain why she had let herself into my home and made herself comfortable at my piano, but nothing came out. Instead her eyes traveled down my body, slowly seeing me for the first time. I kicked myself for having not finished dressing but I had no idea she would make herself at home while I was in the shower. I should have. The idea of her waiting patiently in the car because I took too long was ridiculous. She wasn't that kind of girl.

For modesty's sake, I started to at least put my shirt on and tear my eyes from her as I fondled the buttons. Out of my peripherals I could see her come toward me but I could not see what she would do next. I was too busy trying to figure out what had my hands shaking so badly. I couldn't even line the buttons with the ridiculous holes.

Her hand lay over mine halting my progress and giving me a reason to look at her again, closer than I had before. Her breath was heavy, as was mine at seeing her inches from being against me. I could feel the heat between us but caution was my friend. I had kissed her once before and despite this seemingly different scenario, her coming on to me, I was skeptical of making the same mistake and watching her walk away for good this time.

The question lay in the air. Do I press her lips to mine and risk her turning to leave or do I deny that look in her eyes and lose my chance to see this through? I didn't have the answer. Having only met her once before, I knew I had to have her, I just didn't know if I would have to chase her. The answer came though, in the form of closed eyes, pursed lips and the beautiful young woman poised on the balls of her feet just to be closer to me.

My resolve to resist dissipated and my mouth descended to hers.

Better than the first time, I actually felt her mouth move against mine rough with desire. The hand she had over mine gripped tighter as she pushed against me, into me. My free hand gripped the soft skin of her waist working its way underneath her shirt to feel skin on skin. It gave way beneath my touch before her lips parted, tongue tasting my own.

I'm sure my taste was nothing compared to hers, toothpaste compared to cinnamon and spice. I wanted to taste more of her, to devour her flesh until there was nothing left. As if reading my mind, she bit my lip and I could feel my knees start to give. My mind couldn't process the overwhelming euphoria and thought to shut down my body but I wouldn't allow it.

I left Bella's hand on my shirt to do with as she wished before I freed mine to grip her under the ass and pull her onto me. The motion had her grinding into me showing me how hard I was when I hadn't even noticed, too preoccupied with Bella, her moans being my newly found sanctuary.

The new position was very much to her liking. She opened more to me with one arm around my neck bracing her body to mine while the other trailed her nails hard against my skin. It was more enjoyable than I had ever expected but it had me wishing that I'd never bothered with the damn shirt.

I walked us to the piano sitting her on the keys as I had always wanted to do and felt her giggle in my mouth. "Edward!" She groaned, now able to lean back with my body still flush against her. Her hips still rocked into me and I could imagine myself buried deep inside her while she leaned back gripping my tie to keep from falling entirely.

"Mmm, Bella." I answered, moving from her mouth down to her collarbone. "You taste so good." I went on grinding into her as best I could. I wasn't sure how far I was willing to go but I had a feeling she would have to stop me.

She was panting and making noises I'd never heard before. "Edward, I want…ugh!" She tried but got distracted.

I moved my mouth to her ear. "What, beautiful, what do you want?" I whispered as seductive as I could manage in my current state. It probably came out sounding more like a caveman speaking.

"You to…" But she stopped at the sound of yapping in the back yard. "Stop! What was that?"

Great, she was spooked. I hung my head in defeat, cursing man's best friend for being a giant cock blocker.

"Porkchop." I said. She giggled and a little of the disappointment dissolved, a very little.

"You have a dog named Porkchop?" She asked trying to regulate her breathing. I wondered if she got the reference.

"Umm, yeah. I've had her since I was a kid."

"Her? But Porkchop was a boy." She looked at me like I was a loon but I couldn't help but grin, knowing that she got it.

"I know that. When I got her as a puppy I didn't know she was a girl so I named her Porkchop and called _her_ a _he _until a girlfriend in high school corrected me." I explained. Bella tried to fight off a breathy laugh.

"What was she doing looking down there?"

"My thoughts exactly!" I nearly shouted.

We laughed a little longer before I let her down form the piano and went to let Porkchop in the house not even remotely surprised when she bypassed me and went straight for Bella.

"Why hello there you cute little thing!" Bella cooed and petted her like she'd never been petted before. I stood idly, just watching them play. "You know, I used to love watching Doug and Skeeter and the gang but Porkchop was always my favorite." Yeah, we had tons in common.

"My favorite was Quailman." I said with a shrug. "I was always disappointed when he wasn't in an episode so mom bought me all the seasons saying that I could just skip to the ones centered on him." It sounded like information she'd enjoy.

"You have the DVD's?" she asked with wide eyed admiration. How could I refuse her?

The rest of the night was spent in my room, lying on my bed watching the old cartoon and kissing whenever the mood struck us. It was comfortable, sweet, and gone too soon.

When I woke the next day, Bella was nowhere to be found. She had turned off the television set, covered me with a spare blanket and left sometime before I rejoined the living at four.

The main point: She didn't stay.

**A/N: Let me know what you think.**

**Ember.**


	3. In Lieu of The Morning After

Disclaimer: While many wish they were and few claim to be, I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight Saga or anything associating with such including but not limited to Plots, themes, characters, symbolism, quotes, etcerta... Any resemblances are out of respect for the original author in a compliment to their work and they will not carry over into the rewritten versions staring all my own characters.

As always, much thanks to SquallCullen for her mad beta skills...and for not hitting me with a frying pan after I took a month to write one chapter.

**Unconditional**  
**Emberlyn Ealise**

**In Lieu of the Morning After **

In the movies, its always so easy, predictable even. The scene would start out with some attractive young woman in over her head, with all signs pointing to an inevitable breakdown. The audience would sympathize with her; the women would see them selves in her struggle while the men would imagine saving her from herself, even though they'd never actually do it, even for their own girlfriends. At some point, the woman would bathe and go to bed alone, never knowing that she'll find love the very next day.

There's a coffee shop somewhere and she's running late. There will be some sort of scuffle involving a handsome stranger. At first his advances are plainly refused but she soon gives in to his charms. They'll date, he'll mess up, and then she'll pity him because his parents didn't love him enough. And they eventually live happily ever after.

That was how I saw the relationship developing between me and Bella.

I didn't call her the day I woke alone. It seemed like it might send the wrong message, that it wasn't a problem that she deserted me in the middle of the night. If that was her game, she could be one of 'those girls' with someone else.

Still, I did cave midway through the next day and called her. She hadn't outright given me her number but she'd called me from it so I had it in my phone. It wasn't a big deal, it was just a phone call. I listened to it ring three times and I was certain I'd hear it go to voicemail when her shy voice picked up.

"Umm…hey." She whispered. I hadn't actually expected her to answer at all, which flustered me.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" I asked, wondering if her roommate was napping or if she had company. Whispering still seemed silly on both counts.

"Yeah, a bit. Did you need something?" She questioned still using hushed tones. Her speech was a little rushed as well but I tried not to read into it. I smirked and I knew she'd hear it in my voice.

"Only you, my darling," I teased. There was silence on the line for a moment but she eventually responded in kind.

"Who doesn't need their daily dose of Vitamin B?" She joked, giving a small laugh as well. "Look, I can't really talk right now." I hated those words. I could feel in my gut that something wasn't quite right but I couldn't put my finger on it. Mostly, I just didn't like being rushed.

"Are you in class?" I asked praying that she would say yes and that the feeling would dissipate.

"No, it's just that- I really have to go. I'm sorry. I'll call you." I didn't even say good bye before the line when silent. I didn't call her back. The coward I was couldn't. But I didn't wait for her to call either. I went about my studies and fought with my father as if nothing had happened, hoping that when she showed up again, I would have the strength to turn her away.

Annoyed by my constant balking at everything he had to say, my father had me working fewer and fewer hospital hours. This led to my mother striving to slave over a stove for her only son. Unfortunately, she was sorely out of practice and managed to burn the lasagna so thoroughly that we had to throw it out, pan and all. This led to my supervision of all things culinary. I was in the kitchen "Supervising" as my mother was searching for some new recipe to torture me with.

"What does 'minced' mean?" Mom asked as I turned to rummage through the fridge for some kind of soda that wasn't labeled 'diet'. My weight was the least of my concerns.

"What are you talking about?" I gave up my search, opting instead for the unopened carton of orange juice. Mom was squinting into the screen of the laptop, reading up on the latest food craze, some strange looking Italian soup I probably wouldn't have eaten even if a master chef created it from scratch.

Mom huffed, clearly annoyed, either with her eyesight or with my lack of devotion to the recipe. I wasn't interested enough in her reasons to ask so I dismissed it from my concern.

"It's telling me that I need 1/4th cup of minced mushrooms. Is that Italian or something?" I snickered at her clueless nature.

"Yeah mom, minced is Italian for Portobello." I said with as straight a face as I could muster. She eyed me suspiciously.

"You're lying." She assumed, though still unsure so I laughed a little to confirm her suspicions. She smacked me on the arm I was using to hold the orange juice carton and I nearly choked on the sudden rush of orange juice. "Edward Anthony, quit drinking from the carton and there is no such thing as Portobello Mushrooms." I laughed harder and she hit me again. This time, the carton was already being lowered so I didn't spill or choke.

"Ouch, I'm sorry mom. I was kidding. Ouch, don't hit so hard." As I grew up, she began to smack me more often until it became play fighting, though entirely one sided. What kind of man even jokingly hits his mom?

"I am your mother." She scolded when she finally stopped swatting at me and I was all but laying on the countertop to get away from her.

"It's like chopped, I think." I conceded. There was no way I was going to argue with her over the existence of Portobello mushrooms if it wasn't necessary. She turned back to the recipe and gathered a few more things from the cabinet while grumbling to herself. I snuck another long swig of orange juice while she was turned away.

"So ungrateful, nine hours of agonizing labor so that he could be a smartass. I compromised my body to bring him into this world and what do I get? He just tries to lie and trick his poor old momma." She should really have saved the pity parties for my father. And nine hours of labor was a serious exaggeration. I came sliding out after 45 minutes and an epidural. Yeah, poor mom.

I finished off the carton and listened to some more of her belly aching while she googled the word 'sauté'. My credibility had been destroyed with the 'minced' joke but I would have been a traitor to every 24 year old college student out there if I hadn't taken the shot.

As the carton hit the trashcan, she finally calmed down and began speaking to me again. "How have your classes been?"

_Terrible, I'm trying not to fail but I have no interest in saving lives. I'm more concerned with how forty-two year old John Doe came to be on the slab at all. My professors think that I'm morbid and though my work is less than adequate, they still pass me. I'm sure the family fortune has something to do with that._

"They're fine." I said.

She nodded, dumping the ingredients from the cutting board into the pan. "Have you made any friends?" She asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

_Actually, I'm a little stand-offish and the other boys in class find me as morbid as my professors. Couple that with my distaste for frat parties and giving details about my sexual encounters with the cheerleader all my friends have been with and you have a swell recipe for friendship. And then there's the fact that I have nothing it common with the few intellectuals that attend University as they love the medical aspects of it all and I could not care less if I tried._

"Yeah, I've got a couple of classes with this guy Eric. He's pretty cool." The object of the game is to placate her.

"That's wonderful, honey. Are you seeing anyone?"

_Totally, there's this girl who likes to make-out with me and let me touch her boobies but then she gives me mixed signals. She may not count though, since I never actually _see_ her._

(Not entirely sure if you're talking about Bella here. If so, I'd suggest_ "Maybe. This girl I met likes to make-out and let me touch her boobies but she also rushes me off the phone and disappears in the middle of the night without a word. Not sure if it's really seeing someone, since I see so little of her…)_

"Mom!" I whined but she wasn't about to let up.

"What? I'm just making conversation and after you had that girl in your bedroom not too long ago, I think I have the right to know." I hadn't realized they knew about her until just then.

"It's not like that." I defended. It was half true, seeing as how I didn't know exactly what it was like. She wasn't just a friend, since friends don't grope each other, unless they had benefits. I couldn't even call it that, but she was something. My mother grinned in that knowing way that they all do.

"Enlighten me then." She offered. I sighed and tried to think of something, anything, to say.

"Bella is…" I started but found my words cut short at the sound of the doorbell. Mom looked at me just as quizzically as I did her, knowing that the only visitors we ever had were delivery men who didn't make a habit of coming by in the evening hours. We waited as though we could have both heard it by mistake but when it rang again, mom turned back to the stove, leaving me with the task of answering it.

It wasn't exactly a long journey between the kitchen and the front door but the impatient person on the other side started knocking just as I reached the handle. I swung it open, prepared to give a lecture on patience and disturbing people at dinner time only to have brown eyes stop me in my tracks.

"Bella." I practically breathed her name. She looked at me nervously. Her long hair was pulled high into a pony tail making her face look paler than usual but she was dressed comfortably and showed no other signs of distress. She wore jeans and tennis shoes along with a Sex Pistols T-shirt and a jean jacket. At her age, which I suddenly realized I didn't know exactly but guessed in and around only 20, it was odd to see her in '90s style clothing but it looked wonderful on her.

Her lips parted and I believe she muttered some sort of greeting but the buzzing in my ears prevented me from hearing it. The sight of her soft lips sent my mind into a whirl of memory. I remembered how the feel of her skin had heated my fingertips. That pouty smile was once pressed against my bare chest. Those tempting curves were molded against me just days ago. I wanted them badly but even then I knew I would want more. The Bella that stood before me didn't seem like the same girl. I felt like I was being teased and played.

"Is there something you need?" I asked, taking her back to our one phone conversation. To say I was upset would have been an understatement. She took a deep breath.

"Just you." She sighed. It wasn't at all playful as I had been. Her words ached like a confession tearing away at my will power. I was angrier with her then, if that was even possible. I pushed aside my curiosity at her tone and the pity-like emotion threatening to dull my anger. I didn't want to play games.

"Well, I'd love to help you with that but I'm a little unavailable right now." As if on cue, my mother picked up on the chorus to some country song that may have literally been about washing the dishes. For the artists sake, I hope the lyrics were meant to be metaphoric or at least ironic. Bella tilted a little to the right, unconsciously attempting to see around me.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had company." Her tone held a frosty bite to it, letting me know she did not approve. I didn't approve of her giving me the cold shoulder so I wasn't going to be nice and tell her who was singing. I leant against the door frame and pulled the door itself closer to me as if concealing what lay behind me. Even if she did get a peek inside, she wouldn't be able to see into the kitchen but this gave me even more of an upper hand. Now she was not only jealous but being denied.

"And what if I do? You blew me off at the coffee shop when I said I wanted to see you again, you called me up so that we can play tonsil hockey in the Great Room, and then you slip out like some thief in the night while I'm sleeping. To make matters worse, when I call you about it, you rush me off the phone and I don't hear from you for days," I vented. "So what is it to you if I have a girl over?"

While my words were intended to be enlightening my point of view, they had the added effect of hurting her. I saw the hurt flash across her face and couldn't slow the regret and shame. "I didn't mean-" I started but she was nodding as though she understood anyway. I stopped to give her a moment to compose her own thoughts.

By the set of her jaw, I could see she was somewhat choked up. Hugging her seemed like a good idea except that I thought that she might kick me in the groin if I did. It was a dilemma, my testicles remaining intact for future generations or her comfort. Her voice was music to my ears letting me know I didn't actually need to answer that question.

"You're right." She stated still nodding, "I'm confused and sad and complicated and I don't know anyone here. I've lived in Seattle for two years now, and despite its size, I don't have a single friend I didn't bring with me. Umm…unless I count Alice although she's more of a friend to me than I am to her. And then you came along. You were so comfortable and easy going that you reminded me of someone I used to know but I don't know him anymore and I didn't want to be disappointed. I didn't want to disappoint you. I don't even know you."

She was tearing up, leaving my resolve nonexistent. I stepped out of the doorway to take her into my arms. There was much more wrong with her than just me and I felt selfish. This was my hometown and my lack of friends was my own choice. Her situation was so much different that I felt like a jerk trying to hold her to my standards.

"I hate that I like you so much because there are things that you don't know, and you should but I haven't told you. I hate that I'm here when I shouldn't be. Why can't I just stay away?" She cried mostly to herself. Her words became mangled and unintelligible as her sobs became softer. I shushed her and petted her hair without really knowing why but it seemed like the comforting thing to do. I hated myself for being 'that' guy.

We swayed a bit longer to the twang of the southern tunes while she regained her composure. Both of us were seemingly content for a few moments before an awkward interruption.

"Edward, honey, I think I might need you help in here." Called my mom with a slight twinge of panic in her voice. Bella pulled out of my embrace allowing the chill of the air to replace where her warm body had just been.

"You'd better get back to your company, I guess..." She trailed off, defeated. I just smiled at her.

"That's my mom…" I informed her. "…and her attempt at making soup." I laughed a little, thinking of the image of my mother in the kitchen trying to figure out what the recipe meant by 'dry' measuring cup. Bella smacked my arm.

"You told me you had 'company'." She laughed, using air quotes as well. I just loved seeing her tear streaked face smiling.

"Ouch, what is with you women?" My arm was still tender from my moms beating. "I didn't say I had company, you did." For that she hit me again.

"You went along with it, you jerk!"

"Ow! You hit like a man!" I teased. She just scoffed, unaffected

"And you take it like a girl. You had better hope you never meet my brother."

Just like that things had come full circle. I was always amazed how females could be blubbering fools one second and frolicking through fields of daisies the next. To blame it all on hormones seemed a little far fetched. Before I could think of a witty comeback involving me kicking her brother in the backside, we were nearly deafened by the sound of the smoke detector going off.

"Do not be alarmed!" Mom called. "I have even thing under control." It was safe to say that I would not be having soup for dinner.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" I asked Bella.

"Umm…don't you need to help your mom?" She asked, taken aback as I grabbed my keys from next to the door and closed it behind me.

"Na, you heard her. She said she has it under control." After having set the back patio on fire the night before, I assumed she knew where the fire extinguisher was hidden just in case.

"You're not the least bit worried that she's going to burn down the house while we're gone?" Her voice had gone up an octave in genuine concern but she still followed me to my car. I shook my head.

"It's insured." I walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her.

"Are you serious?" The look on her face was one of moderate shock and skepticism.

"My mother is a woman of above average intelligence with substandard cooking skills. She may not be able to boil water without causing a catastrophe but she does know how to stop, drop, and roll if the situation calls for such. Now, I'm starving and going to find something to put into my stomach so you can either join me and fill your stomach as well or you can hop back into the monstrosity of a truck you've parked in my drive way and head back to whatever it is your escaping from this evening." It wasn't quite the dinner invitation it would have been, but it did get her into my car. That was all I cared about at the time.

Roughly half an hour later we found ourselves at a nearby park munching on Sammie's. When ordering, they seemed like a great idea as they were two for two dollars but upon seeing what we had ordered we realized we'd need at least a dozen apiece just to satisfy ourselves. Of course, we went for thirty-six in the hopes of acting like gluttons.

"Do you and your mom cook at home often?" Bella asked with a mouth still mostly full of lettuce and tomatoes. I shook my head.

"We used to all the time." I said quickly before swallowing to make talking easier, "Mom always wanted the domestic lifestyle and a little girl to teach to cook and clean and stuff. Sadly for her, she found that she couldn't be a housewife to save her life and I'm not quite the little girl she pictured." Bella giggled.

"I could just see you in a little pink apron baking cookies with your mom." She joked.

"Oh yeah, mom would be burning the no-bake cookies in the oven while I produced and uncanny amount of muffins from my EZ Bake Oven."

Bella tried unsuccessfully to keep her food in her mouth as she laughed at me but a few stray pieces managed to escape. It wasn't the most attractive sight but it caused her to blush crimson, much to my amusement. The shade in contrast to her hair reminded me very much of strawberries and dark chocolate. That led to thoughts of an inappropriate nature, causing my face to redden right alongside hers. We were quite the pair.

"No shit? You had an EZ Bake oven? Mom bought me one when I was a kid but I refused to use it. I think I preferred mud pies back then." I could just imagine Bella as the delightful little child who used to put Barbie dolls in the oven to kill two birds with one stone. I rolled my eyes.

"You sound like you were quite the pageant princess," I teased.

"Totally!" She replied sarcastically, "I was even polite enough to wait a full month before I "dropped it" in the bathtub." She tried unsuccessfully to make air quotes, spilling more pieces from her Sammie onto her chest. She picked at the pieces and ate them, a job I silently wished I would have thought of first. She continued talking as she shoves tiny pieces into her mouth. "I think I got the idea from Jake ruining something in the bath by accident but hell if I remember what that was all about." She talked about Jake a lot. He and Nessie were always one the forefront of her mind and I wondered if she regretted going to college so far from home.

"I bet your mom misses things like that. What made you come all the way out here anyway?" The question felt like something we'd talked about before but I couldn't recall if she just hadn't answered or if she had changed the subject. Perhaps I'd just thought about asking her before, but never did. She'd finished the last bite of her Sammie and was about to delve into another, but she opted to set it aside and answer instead. "Umm…I guess with my dad being a coach and my brother being on the football team, Sports Medicine was the logical choice for me and the campus here is right next to the hospital so I get lots of hands on training."

"Is it not like that in Phoenix?" I wondered. She hesitated.

"Well, there was also this boy-" She started. Of course there was. A young girl that far from home, that beautiful, had to have been following a boy.

"Oh." Was my only contribution to that path of the conversation. Hers eyes no longer met mine as she seemed ashamed of doing something so silly.

"Yeah, he was a grade above me like Jake. Actually he was best friends with Jake." Her use of past tense caught my attention.

"I take it they aren't friends anyone?"

"Nothing ends a friendship quicker than taking care of business with your best friend's little sister and Emmett had a bad habit of bragging in the locker room." The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place it exactly.

"Em?" I tried, thinking that I recalled the pet name from our previous conversation. A quirky smile lit her face.

"I've mentioned him before haven't I?"

"In passing, maybe." I stated, still trying to recall when he had come up. She shrugged.

"Once upon a time he was my whole world."

"What happened to him then?" I asked before snatching another Sammie and trying to look less interested than I was.

"We were hot and heavy in high school until he graduated and came here. The plan was for me to finish out my senior year and then follow, so I did. Somewhere in the middle, he changed." Her voice lowered a little while she stared into the vastness of the park surrounding us. "When I got here, we moved in together and it was better than ever, like he was trying to make up for lost time. He was buying me stuff and we were having sex all over the place and it was so good."

I cringed at the thought of the woman in passionate embrace with another man but knew it was ridiculous to think there'd never been anyone else. I let her continue and kept my mouth occupied with food. "After a while, he slowed down to our normal pace and I filled the space between with extra homework. Then it was less and less often that we had time for each other. He started going out without me and suddenly instead of having a boyfriend I had a roommate." She made a strange face, a cross between disgust and contemplation. "The only thing I can think of is that he was with some college girls around here while I was finishing up high school. That part I don't really blame him for, I just hate that I never measured up." Her shoulders slumped forward.

In my mind, I knew this was the part where I was supposed to comfort her. I was strangely silent and had nothing to say. In hindsight, I know that I should have told her that she was way better than any other girl could ever hope to be, that he was stupid for thinking otherwise, that she deserved better. All I could think was that his loss was my gain. I didn't even manage to voice that encouraging thought, just kept chewing away at my Sammie, lost in contemplation.

"Can we just go?" She asked agitatedly and I immediately began to put the food away.

The ride back to my house wasn't long but was filled with silence. Her head was likely a mess of memories and mine was swimming between feeling sorry for what she went through and cheering at my luck that things didn't work out. Neither feeling was helpful leaving the radio as the only option.

When we arrived at my house, I wanted badly to take her inside but I knew it wasn't a good idea. My pride was still wounded from her kiss and run tactics.

"I'm glad your mom didn't burn the place down." She commented as I led her to her truck. I nodded.

"It must have been that above average intelligence I was telling you about that saved us."

Bella gave a small chuckle, but our light mood from earlier had passed. I still didn't know where I stood with her but standing next to her truck seemed appropriate. I was more in my world than hers but I was still close.

"It was good seeing you." I said sounding as friendly as possible and she responded in kind.

"I guess I'll see you around," I offered hoping to get an answer in the right direction but she just nodded and made a noise of agreement before getting into her truck to leave with only a wave.

No kisses were shared this time and though I felt like this meant we were just friends, I still held a slight bit of hope that we were more.

**AN: In case you haven't noticed, my updates are not coming as quickly as I had hoped. At this time I have accepted reviewing position on another site that host original fiction and the reading a reviewing process is cutting into my writing time. I've also just started a new website to be named at a later date with my friend Keara where she and I will be doing adult toy reviews along a few erotic shorts of my own contribution.  
Still, I will be finishing Unconditional and I hope to have another chapter up before the week is out. If you like my work then perhaps you read more when I switch to my own characters but it the meantime please review so that I know where I stand with this one. Next chapter will start the change of pace and I'm eager for feeback.**


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